“That’s a very fine gift,” Paul says, admiring the handcrafting. It’s a skill that transcends worlds. “They must be a good friend. I don’t know much about your world, but I already know it’s very different from the Imperium where I was born.”

To begin with, Exos would have been strictly forbidden under post-Butlerian Jihad laws.

“They won’t mind. They can see that I trust you.” Paul offers Blaze the bag of meat bits. “If you want to win them over, this is a good way to do it. They’re friendly, but a little extra convincing always helps.”